This week, I have not been feeling so hot. We’ve battled and won our first round of seasonal sickness, hormones are fluctuating, and I’m just not feeling like myself.

Can you relate?

I know what my problem is: Chocolate. I’m not eating enough of it. I read an article on the internet that said chocolate is a superfood. (So is champagne, but coffee and red wine are more my speed these days.) And since the internet is never wrong, I was able to self-diagnose my biggest issue and root cause. I ran out of my favorite dark chocolate bars and they’re too pricey to buy when they’re not on super sale. And here’s the reality of my life: It’s not worth living without that chocolate at the end of the day. Or in the middle of my day. Or to start my day.

I’ve also been needing a little pep in my step. I don’t know if it’s the weather, lack of chocolate, the pitch dark that sets in at 4:00pm sharp, or what, but I also need a little more help with energy and, uh, sex drive. Yep, I’m going there. Sorry.

After working long days taking care of a toddler and working from home, cooking up a storm, and just doing life, getting busy is pretty much the last thing I have energy for, TBH. So, adding spices to actually spice up my life and boost my mojo? Okay. Let’s do that.

Maca is a natural hormone booster, and cayenne pepper is wonderful for digestion and circulation. Cinnamon is warming and curbs sugar cravings. So, this is my cocoa cocktail to get my hot mama mojo back. Plus, it’s damn delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups milk of your choice (I use coconut milk)

1 Tbsp honey or sweetener of your choice

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp maca powder

a splash of vanilla extract

a pinch of cinnamon

a tiny dusting of cayenne pepper (a tiny bit goes a VERY LONG WAY)

Directions:

Combine all of your ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat on medium low.

Because I have a problem. Sugar means too much to me. I can’t resist it right now. I need to give it up for a while until I can use it responsibly.

Which might be never. But I’m giving it until September, just to be sure. Because I don’t want the diabeetus.

One of my favorite treats is chocolate and peanut butter, but because of FPIES, we can’t keep peanuts in the house. I love sunflower seed butter (aka sunbutter) as a substitute for peanut butter. It’s safe for peanut and tree nut allergy peeps, and gives a comparable, creamy taste. I don’t miss it peanut butter at all. In fact, you can pretty much always find me with a spoonful of sunbutter in my hand when I get too busy and forget to feed myself.

I’m also pretty committed to using raw cacao nibs when possible. Raw cacao is full of antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and can help fight heart disease and lift your mood naturally. With a little bit of coconut oil for good measure, these treats aren’t just freaking delicious, they’re also super healthy for you.

Sign me up. Twice.

I shared these with some of my best friends who are also trying to leave that jerk, Sugar, behind. The consensus? We can no longer live without them.

These are some of my faves, though. They are chewy, salty, sweet, and gluten-free. How awesome is that?

I typically make these for my mom, who has a little condition called diabetes.

She’s a total cutie.

Since Mother’s Day is coming up, these are a perfect way to share the love with my mom and still respect her limitations. I want her to be around to see my kiddo graduate from high school in approximately 16 years, so I’m committed to supporting her in any way I can. This includes making enjoyable food she can eat. And as a mother, I would love to have someone make these for me (I’m looking at you , dear husband).

I have a relatively new found love of coconut. I really used to dislike it. Then I realized it was always sweetened. Like on a lemon meringue pie that my Nana used to make, or in a coconut macaroon usually at a church potluck. It was perpetually too sweet, and tasted like sugary fibrous shreds of blech. (And yes, “blech” is a word. It ends on a k sound, not ch. Otherwise, it would be ble(t)ch, and what is that? Nothing, that’s what.) Then I tasted the un-bastardized, unsweetened coconut and totally fell in foodie love.

As it turns out, coconut is an excellent source of fiber. Fiber helps you feel full, stabilizes your blood sugar, and helps you go twosies. (And yes, “twosies” is a real word, too. Just ask Turk and J.D. They’re doctors.) It adds texture and a delicate sweetness to a variety of dishes. I’ve also started eating a spoonful of dry coconut flakes when I feel nauseous or have acid reflux from eating something I shouldn’t. It works like a charm about 70% of the time.

Coconut is also a superfood, more specifically, coconut oil. I try to incorporate it as much as possible into my daily food intake. I blend it into my coffee, cook with it, and take it by the spoonful to help me sleep peacefully at night. Coconut oil is great for my brain, my liver, my metabolism, and my mood. I’m pretty sure it’s good for yours, too.

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for breakfast, snacks, or my overactive sweet-tooth. I like it because it tastes like a candy bar, I’ll be honest. But it is so stinkin’ good for me that I don’t feel even a little bit guilty. These travel well, don’t need to be refrigerated, and are delicious treat for at least a week.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a chocoholic.

I come by it honestly. My oldest brother had a friend in high school who went to Belgium and brought back a 5 lb chocolate bar for him as a present. My brother kept it in the freezer, woke up every morning, cut off a chunk and started his day with the world’s best chocolate for a few weeks. My other brother, parents, and I would all look on with chocolate-lovers jealousy as we chewed our stale Cheerios in reconstituted powdered milk. If we were lucky, we would get a taste.

We weren’t lucky very often.

In my adult life, I try to incorporate chocolate into my diet as much as possible. In moderation, keeping it very dark, fair-trade certified, blah blah blah. But there is something very satisfying about ending the day with a square of 80% cacao chocolate. There is also something slightly indulgent about beginning the day the same way, too.

I had to give up grains entirely when my baby was small because many foods seemed to upset his stomach. Almonds were always a pass, and so was chocolate. THANK GOD. Because honestly, I don’t know what I would have done to keep my milk supply up and my sanity intact. Dark chocolate made the busy days of exclusive pumping and caring for a baby while working 30+ hours a week mentally possible, and almonds made it physically possible. In fact, if I could give awards to food, almonds and chocolate would win the Food Oscar every time.

Breakfast has always been the hardest meal of the day for me to plan and prep. I always crave something fast and healthy, with minimal effort. (Okay! I crave this every other meal of the day, too. Breakfast is worst, though.) So, I started experimenting in my little kitchen and came up with these simple and delightful breakfast treats. Really, they’re not limited to breakfast, and make a great snack as well. They fall somewhere between a scone and a cookie, so my midwife nicknamed them “scookies”. The name stuck. And then my clients started ordering them, offering to pay me way too much money for a dozen of these paleo breakfast treats. Since I love cooking but lack the desire to become a full-time paleo baker and the Department of Health permits to do so, I gladly share this with those clients, friends, families, and now the Internets.

Hi! I’m Carrie.

Several years ago, I embarked on a journey to hold my life with empowered wellness. It started with community, both online and in real life. It breathed and it grew and it spilled over into my work, my marriage, my family, and brought forth a remarkable son with special challenges. It's not perfect, it's a little quirky and sometimes frayed around the edges, but I love this life. And I want to share it with you. More about Carrie

Our Stable Table does not intend to dispense medical advice and should not be considered medical advice or counsel. If you have a question about your health or the health of your child or loved one, please consult your physician. The stories and information here are anecdotal and of personal opinion only and should not be used as a substitute for medical help.